The gastrointestinal (GI) tract extends from the esophagus to the anus and senses many functions, including nutrition, hydration, and disease prevention. Resection of a portion of the GI tract, such as esophagus, small intestine, large intestine or colon, is performed on a patient under general anesthesia. An incision is typically made in the abdomen, chest or neck and a diseased portion is removed. The healthy ends that remain are sewn or stapled together and the incision is closed through the procedure known as anastomosis. There is substantial risk of the patient leaking at the site of the anastomosis even if the surgeon follows best practices. Leakage may lead to contamination of the peritoneal or thoracic cavity, sepsis and even death. Leakage may be evident immediately or it may be delayed at the site of anastomosis, regardless of the skill of the surgeon.
Although research to decrease failure rates of reseclion/anastomosis has been considerable, success has been elusive. Advances in minimally invasive procedures allow surgeons to perform resection and anastamoses using laparoscopic or thoracoscopic technologies. However, many surgeons are unwilling to use less invasive procedures due to the inherent risks of leakage and severity of the complications of leakage from the GI tract. As an alternative to connecting the two intestinal ends, the surgeon may perform an ostomy or stoma, exteriorizing a portion of the intestine and leaving a patient with an opening on the abdomen or neck. Such procedures, however, involve having the patient wear an external pouch to collect intestinal waste. Possible infection and restrictions on patient lifestyles make this option unattractive. If an anastomosed site leaks, then a surgeon often opts to perform an ostomy as a necessity to prevent any further sepsis, morbidity or death of the patient.